Chapter 2:
Shortly after dawn Alanna's team arrived. "You get the beast?" The "leader "of the group asked before surveying the area."She nodded"see for yourself," she answered and pointed t the long dead wolf. As the man looked in the direction she was pointing he saw Evander, "who is this guy?" His tone some what cold and angy, but there was also somthing else, but Alanna made no fuss about it. Alanna smiled. "A traveling mecenary that I fou...." she paused thinking about her words for a moment. " that I ran into last night...its no big deal really, it was more like entertainment" she said with a smile. "You bandaged his wounds? Why?" he asked. Alanna only nodded before speaking."He was hurt and he couldn't do it himself."This man watched Evander warily. "Whats wrong Gabriel?" She merely attempted to be oblivious to his jealousy. "Oh nothing" Gabriel whispered and locked his eyes on to hers.
She watched his handsom features carefully. His lovely silken locks that fell just above his shoulders,the color of a raven, his eyes, bluer than the sky. Alanna then looked back to Evander. Shorter rich brown hair, and from what she had seen the night before ice blue eyes. of course they were both taller than her.

...Especially when I am only five feet four inches tall. Evander has to be five-eleven at least, and Gabriel... well there is no way he is under six feet tall...

"Alanna..."Gabriel interupted her thoughts. She turned back to him and managed to mumble a hmm. "We really should be on our way, the others have already left and we will lose pay if we do not hurry now." His tone was relaxed and almost joyful. Alanna watched him for a moment, "alright, " she whispered and turned on her heel and started walking. Gabriel followed quickly.
Alanna and Gabriel walked out of a large house carring brown sacks with tweed rope ties that held their wages in them.
"What you did was reckless,"Gabriel started. " I know," Alanna whispered. "Where would I be if my partner died?" he asked changing his tone of voice. "You would find another," Alanna half whispered. "True, I could find another, but I do not want another partner. Now whats wrong?" His voice sounded alittle bit worried She stayed quiet. "Alanna..." he said stopping her in her tracks. "Just please try to be careful."he half begged. She gave him a small fake smile and nodded. The next few moments were nothing but silence.
"What am I to you?" She asked this quickly, so that she would not hesitate. "A partner," he said hoping that was the correct answer. "Is that all I am to you?" She said looking up at him. He stopped, " No," was all he said in his defense. "Then what else am I to you?" Her tone was a tiny bit harsh. "You are my friend too, a very good friend if I might add." He watched her with a confused look. "I see... that is all" she mumbled the last half and started for her horse. Once she had mounted the tall beast, it was a pinto and she had named him Amos. his mane and tail were black with white flecks and his body held large black brown and white spots. He was five years of age, and a very gentle beast indeed. Gabriel mounted his own horse, a black arabian stallion. He was a very difficult horse, and fairly new his age was only about two and a half years. His name Bramere. He was a little larger than Amos.
By the time Gabriel had gotten situated in his saddle Alanna had gotten about one hundred meters ahead of him and out of town. He knew he would have to try to catch up to her now. Which wouldn't be to teribly hard for him since his horse was slightly faster than Alanna's own.
When he managed to catch up to Alanna, he had to grab her reigns to get her horse to stop."What the hell is wrong with you!?"He shouted at her once hed stopped both horses. "Nothing is wrong with me Gabriel, infact I am just fine. Please give me back my reigns now ."She demanded. He sighed and gave them back to her.She kicked her horse slightly and sped it up, as opposed to staying at a stand still. He shook his head and followed her lead.
When he finally caught up to her, he did not say a word just kept her pace, but there were alot of things going through his mind. Many things such as...

...Why hadn't she ever told him her age?...
...Is she too young for him?...
...No, it was something else she is far to skilled to be very young...or atleast not as young as she looked...
...What is she hiding?...
....Or maybe she is just a witch.....
....And what on earth is that insufferable woman's problem?...

He glanced over at her as he rode beside her. "Alanna..." he started. She looked over at him."Hmm,"she mumbled it. "How old are you?" he asked it almost afraid of offending her. She hesitated for a moment. "Not as old as you" she answered sweetly. "What do you mean?" he asked his tone one of being dumbfounded. She paused as she watched the raw emotion on his face. "How old are you Gabriel?" she started. "Thirty-two...."He answered not understanding the question entirely. "then why do you look to be no more than nineteen?" Her questions were coming quicker than he could process them." I don't know, what are you saying? wait how old are you?" he scrambled his words together as quickly as possible. She gave him a gentel smile. "you really want to know?" she asked in a whisper. He noded as a reply. " eighty-four....im only eighty-four...."she whispered. His mouth dropped open mostly from shock. "E-eighty-f-four?" he stuttered. Alanna looked up at him and smiled, "you say it like its a horrible thing." "but you don't look...how is that...wow" he rambeled on for a moment. She let him ramble on for a moment. "Now before you go calling me old, I must tell you that you're really eighty-six." She said almost triumphantly. "Then why don't I remember?" he half spat. Alanna grimaced for a second. " I'll tell you in due time." she said just above a whisper. "Wait what does that make me?! And you, what the hell are you?!" He was becoming overwhelmed by this. "Gabriel..." Alanna started her quite tone, calm ,and reassuring. "you want to know what you are?" she halfway whispered. He'd noticed it was hard to get her to talk over a whisper...or even yell for that matter.

...Maybe she'd been taught to do so, or maybe she just prefered things to be soft and gentel...

Gabriel thought to himself. "yes" he replied as he lowered his tone. "Alright." she said calmly. "You are half-elf...but I...."She paused for fear of losing her grip on the situation. "I...am an elf"She finished her last sentence very carefully. Gabriel's mouth droped open, but he soon realized he was gawking at her so he quickly turned away. "Why is it so hard for you to say?"He mumbled as he turned back to face her.
"Because...we were friends then, as we are now..."she whispered looking at the ground for fear of giving away the truth. "Is there something more?" he asked. She looked up smiling..."hmm I'll tell you more later... or you can come with me to my house and... I can give you a potion, or elixir to bring all of your memoreys back...if you'd like, that way I wouldn't have to explain so very much." her voice was firm, but her eyes gave off the only sign of weakness, which Gabriel had not seem to figure that out.
"Alright but I do have one last question..."Gabriel had said this quickly."hmm?" Alanna mumbeled. "Why are you here, and not living in the elven world?"His voice was suspicious now. Alanna smiled at him."Because I left, because of you, and my brother, and mother."She was quick to answer, there was no hesitation in this answer, unlike her previous ones."Oh...." Gabriel managed. "So what about your father?" He asked proding on about it. "M-my Father?"She asked a little confused. "Yeah whats he like?" he asked slowly thinking if that was the right thing to ask. "Oh.. my father...hmmp.. well im his oldest child...he has one other daughter...my sister...he is...strict..."her eyes wandered off as she spoke."Whats wrong Alanna?"Gabriel pressed on. She wanted to refuse but she cared about him more than he knew and wanted her to explain her frustration to him. "My father banished you my mother and brother." she said a little of anger showing through her tone.
A look of shock passed over his face, he couldn't believe that is was her father who did that. "But that would make your father...."Gabriel stumbled over his words. "The elven ruler, the king of Zevanor? Yes my dearest Gabriel, you are right....he is." her tone was harsh and cold. "But that would make you the..."He couldn't get it out "The elven princess, and heiress to the throne" she finished for him. He nodded in shock.
"Your father seems to be a very harsh man" he whispered. Alanna only nodded. The rest of the evening they were silent until they stopped to camp in the western woods for the night.
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Chapter 3

As soon as they had settled for the night Alanna started a fire large enough to cook and keep warm by."So where are we headed tomorrow?" Gabriel asked his tone curious. She looked up from the fire to meet his gaze. "To my home in Alavander." she half whispered. He was starting to get slightly annoyed by her quet tone, she always seemed so relaxed, as if she knew more than he did, and sometimes it really drove him insane. "Why?" he proded hoping to get her to atleast raise her voice slightly. "Suupplies, rest, to see who has sent for me, and you of course" Her tone a little bit higher than it was a moment ago. He was satisfied with himself hed accomplished what hed hoped, hed aggrivated her so easily with a simple but idiotic question.
"So what happened that I had to leave Zevanor?" Gabriel started. Alanna's eyes shot up to meet his gaze, they held a mix of anger and sorrow in them, and something hed never seen in her eyes in a very long time...fear. "Sorry I asked."he said tring to drop the suject. "No you deserve to know..."She paused for a moment. "My father's council had convinced him all half elves were evil after my brother was born, and they convinced him to kill all half elves, but when it was soon found out that some of his dearest friends were half elves he banished them instead..."
She stopped and dropped her gaze back to the fire. "What happed then?" Gabriel proded knowing that he shouldn't. She looked up at him with a small forced smile on her delicate lips. "The council ordered me to hunt and kill you...but when I didn't obey them my father ordered me to..." she gave a weak laugh. "but since I knew you so well....there was no way I could do it...and when I failed to do as I was ordered others were ordered to do it..." She looked at the fire again. "I killed so many of my own..anyone and everyone that thought to try to harm you i exicuted..." She looked back at him."I spilt so very much elven blood that year...so very much..."she said as she looked back to the red and yellow flames.
She was quiet for a moment. Gabriel thought of holding her close and letting her cry but he knew she wouldn't want that, she always tried not to show sadness around him. "So when my father saw that I would slaughter the entire elven race to keep you alive if I had to... so he banished you along with my mother and brother." she finally spoke but it was no louder than a whiper, when she turned to look at him he saw the only tear that had slipped from her emerald eyes. Gabriel made a motion to wipe it away. "leave it." She comanded her voice still a whisper. He gave her a questioning look. She smiled weakly "it would just be replace by another." She said her tone barely audible. She smiled at him. " you should get soem sleep now..." she said in a normal voice for once she was louder than her usual whispering tone.
He noded and got up to grab his and her blanket, he came back and handed her her own and proped up on a log after wraping his around him, using a pack for a pillow. "Why couldn't you kill me...I want the exact reason..."He started but imediately felt guilty for asking. She looked over at him with a smile"why" she asked calmly, but he could tell there was something more behind that one word. He was silent for a moment but when he started to speak she interrupted."Why do you ask?, why do you want me to tell you that at one point in time we were more than friends, that we were bethrothed? What in this eternal undieing exisistance would it accomplish?" She questions her tone slightly cold and harsh. "It would accomplish the fact of letting me know and we were WHAT?!"His voice raised about 10 notches at the end. She looked away before rolling onto her side infront of the flames. "Nothing, you should not worry about that now...that is no longer the person are" she whispered.
Gabriel let it go he knew it was painful for her to talk about her past. her tried to get comfortable as possible and colsed his eyes it was almost instanly that sleep came, and with sleep came sream that he guess that were from long ago.

He stood infront of a moselum . He'd seen this scene so many times before. In his hand was a long red blade, with fresh blood still driping from it. For some reason he was dressed as a nobleman. He was facing Alanna jsut as he'd done so many times before.
So many times before this hed had this dream, and knew very well how it went by now, but it wasn't until two years ago that'd he'd known who the woman was. For so many years before that he'd wondered who she was, and thought so many times that she was so beautiful and how brilliant it would be to meet her in person.
"So have you come to kill me now" he spoke with anger dripping from every word. She was wearing the same forest coloered satin dress as last time. She watched him sadly."I-I could never...I care for you too much, you know I could never hurt you in such a horrid way." she answered in a pleading tone, almost begging for him to believe her. Her voice was desperate and sorrowful, hed never heard her talk with such a tone the entire time he'd known her. She seemed different from the Alanna he knew now. She seemed more naieve ande gentle, than the Alanna did in reality. But in the back of his mindhe knew even then she was a fierce killer. Standing there she looked so frail, and breakable, even though he knew better.
"Im sorry for being. so harsh, my love, but his orders for you are harsh and I do not wish to lose you." He apologized and moved closer. She stood solid in her position, not moving an inch, but standing perfectly straight, her own blades dripping of what he guessed was fresh elven blood. "You won't lose me...you never will...if he banishes you..I will follow, I could never leave you my love, you are to precious. to let go."She whispered the last part."What will become of you brother?" "He and my mother are to be banished.."She whispered.
There was silence as he looked at her he realized she looked as if she were on the verge of breaking down into tears."Will they erase their memory?" he asked quietly not being able to look at her any longer. She shook her head to signal a no. He dropped his blade and wrapped his arms aound her, and she did the same. She started to cry as she laid her head on his chest.He kissed her lightly on the top of her head holding her close to let her cry, tring to make her feel as best as possible. When she stoped cring she turned around and faced him and kissed him on the cheek. "Alanna....we shouldn't" he whispered as he brushed his lips against hers."I know." she whispered as she pressed her lips to his. He did the same thing as she had just done., but she pulled away, " I must go, do not let them see you, I do not wish to kill another but I will if it means keeping you safe." she whispered and kissed him on the cheek turing to leave as she had alredy picked up her blades and place them back into their sheaths.
He woke up seconds later with the sun almost blinding him. The dream had lasted longer than usual. but why? he shrugged it off as alann walked up from his right coming from somewhere, his guess was packing stuff and placing it on her saddle. He studied her with a new lust.
"What?" she asked in an annoyed tone. Aparently not liking the way he was watching her. "Nothing"he half shouted. "Good." she said as she turned around slightly swaying her hips as she walked towards the horses, making the skirt of her black and white dress sway slightly, but no more than the usual. She wore a Black dress with a long sleedve mens shirt under neath it making the dress look long sleeved, all the trimmings on the dress were white, her coset was black with withe lace roses and a white cord to tie up the back.. it was a brilliant plan on her part actually. She didn't look much like the hunter everyone asked for, but his guess was that that was the way she wanted things, and for as long as he could remeber she'd never looked real fierce until she had to actually hunt whatever creature it was that week or month that she was after.
She looked so fragil and sweet, and beautiful, how could anyone percieve her to be the hunter they asked for? But whenever they met her after talking to her they instantly knew,but then again everytime they met someone they always thought it was him, and not her, so they would address him and and act as if she wasn't even there.
"Is there really a way to return my memory?"he asked watching her. She looked at him as she finished tieing off her blades to the horse. "Yes" she said all anger slipping away. " do you know how to do it?" Gabriel siad the questin quicker than he meant to. She eyed him a moment before answering. "why?" she asked wearily. "I keep having this dream but I want to know if its just that or a memory." he answered skillfully but quickly.
"Well tell me when we get to my house, we have to leave now, we have soemone following us."She answered getting on her horse. "How do you know" he asked. "I can see him, its that damned mercenary from the forest." she said watching the western horizon. "See thats what you get for helping random people who attack you in the forest."Gabriel said in a light tone. Alanna squinted her eyes and glared at him."Keep quiet, its what I did for you, and if i hadn't you'd have died there in the middle of the wood with no one to help you."she said her tone being slightly childish. "But that was different you knew me, you didn't know him..."he paused as if thinking, then and evil smirk evolved on his lips."Unless...you know him as well" he muttered in her ear as he walked past her. "No, I just pity the weak."she said her tone just as devious. Gabriel sighed."Aha I always knew you thought I was weaker than you!"He exclaimed. Alanna Shook her head ever so slightly, seeing as this action shook her ruby locks , she didn't do it often. "I never said that, even though it is the truth. but we shall save that for another time, for now we should be on our way."she said hoping that would silence him. Gabriel did not argue with her he slung his blanket over the back of his horse and got on.
Moment later afer they had put more space between theirselves and Evander she slowed her pace some. Gabriel followed suit shortly after.
"but you do know how to make the Elixir?" he half asked. "What kind of idiotic question is that? of course i know how to make it, im an Elven princess, why whouldn't i know how to make it?" She said before remembering that he didn't know that all royalty knew how make it. He was silent. "I- I am sorry, i fogot...what i meant, is that i do, and i will make it if that is what you wish." she answered. "yea thanks."he was quiet when he said this, had it not been for her being an elf she'd have never heard it.
She kicked her horse ever so slightly making him go faster. Gabriel only followed what his partner had done. From there they pushed their horses for the next two hours when they reached the city limits of Alavander...

When Evander came upon the outed fire, he instantly knew that he had only missed them by a few hours. He frowned a bit. "I am moving to slowly..."he paused thinking. "The closest town from here is...Alavander."he said to himself then a small smile pealed across his lips."I know where you're headed pricess."he whispered, his mind was still stuck on the conversationg he'd had with his newest client. She was young and thin, looked no older than he was, even though he was only eighteen years of age. his mind kept running over her words. ' Bring her back to me, unharmed if possible, you see she is running from what she is, and its all that filthy half blood's fault...we need her...her name is not important even though you already know her, so I wont mention it this day...track her and bring her back here.' her words were cold and harsh but he knew what she wanted. 'why should I?' this was his response, true he was arrogant but he did not really feel like hunting this girl down for nothing even though she interested him. 'I am willing to pay whatever you wich as long as you bring that girl back to me.' onceagain this young woman was not really giving him the answer he wanted.' what is so special about her and not any other red headed wench running around?' with this he got the answer he wanted. 'Shes the princess of Zevanor!!' the young woman said her words sounding like they could split him in half if she willed them to do so, even though they were agressive they were not loud enough to draw attention to her. 'so you're telling me shes the elven princess?' Evander was doing his best to think of ways to get money out of this woman before taking the job, he wanted to make sure he would get his payment. 'yes!' she gave and exsasprated sigh.'and you don't believe me...stupid filthy humans.' the last part she had mumbled to herself but he still heard her. Evander had chuckled at this. 'oh no i do believe you..im just making sure I'll get my payment.' that and chasing after a woman he has some interst in...

....Everthing I could ask for in a job...

This thought had brought him a smile at the time now he just sighed as she got back on his horse. He was only worried about the fact that the woman might have wanted her to harm her, but then why ask for to be unharmed? He shrugged to himself as if to clear his mind, but it had no affect on it. He tried to stop thinking about it, thinking about the way Alanna had fought him in the forest. Even if they were out to hurt her, he was sure that she could defend herself.